Cooking apparatus



April 14, 1953 c. N. CONE COOKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 9, 1947 Aprii 14, 1953 c. N. CONE cooxma APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1947 April 14, 1953 c. N. CONE COOKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 9, 1947 Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE COOKING APPARATUS Clarence N. Cone, Haverford, Pa.

Application January 9, 1947, Serial No. 721,117

4 Claims. 01. 137-4587) This invention relates generally to cooking apparatus and more particularly to a novel cookin unit used in the preparation of food adaptable to pressure cooking as well as the conventional methods and which may be assembled with other related units to form a kitchen stove. The cook! ing unit of this invention is further characterized in that it may be used to automatically cook food in a number of different ways such as boiling, baking, roasting, frying or pressure cooking by making certain adjustments of the automatic controls provided.

One object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a cooking unit which is largely automatic in its operation and which may be employed for all the conventional means of cooking as well as for pressure cooking.

Another object is to provide an electrically heated pressure cooking unit having its heating element within the pressure tight shell in order to achieve more eflicient heat transfer and better insulation against heat losses.

Another object is to provide a cooking unit which may be readily assembled with other related units to form an integral stove structure.

A further object is to provide a pressure tight cooking unit which may be employed as an oven to bake, roast, or broil food or as a pressure cooker so that foods .which normally would be roasted or baked may be quickly pressure cooked and then roasted or baked to finish cook them, thereby greatly reducing the time required for cooking.

Another object is to provide an automatic con trol system for a pressure cooker having a ,conduit for removing vapors from the cooking chamber which system employs a solenoid to close a safety valve and seal off said conduit during pressure cooking operations.

Another object is to provide a cooking unit having a conduit for removing cooking vapors and steam which may be provided with an activated charcoal, silica gel, or otheradsorptive material filter to remove odors and which may lead through a water bath to condense vapors.

Another object is to provide an automatic ,control system for a pressure cooker which employs a clock mechanism to time the cooking cycle ,;said mechanism being started in operation when the pressure or temperature within the cooker reaches a predetermined value and which m chanism opens a-valveat the end of the cooking cycle to release the pressure as well as opens a;swit ch to deenergize the heating element and control circuits.

A further object is to provide a pressure operated interlock in the pressure tight door of a pressure cooker which prevents the doors being opened while pressure is present in the cooking chamber.

A further object is to provide an electrical interlock which prevents the closing of the safety valve in the exhaust conduit when the door of the cooking unit is not locked in the closed position.

Additional objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent on reading the specification and the appended claims in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a stove assembled from various related cooking units.

Fig. 2 is an expanded view showing the manner in which the units of Fig. 1 may be disassembled.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a cooking unit.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the rear portion of the unit of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram of the various control elements of a single unit.

Fig. 6 is a view'of' a door of a single unit having a portion of the covering plate cut away to show the operating mechanism.

' Fig. 7 is a partial sectional view showing the front of a cooking unit with the door removed.

A kitchen stove l5 built up of various units is shown in Fig. 1. The manner in which these units may be disassembled is illustrated in Fig. 2. All the uni-ts of the stove II] are supported by a base portion II. It is contemplated that thebase portion 1 I be either adjustable in height or that various different height bases Ill could be furnished in order to adjust the height of the stove Hi to that most convenient to the chef. Superimposed on the base II is a storage compartment [3 provided with a door 20 which may be either hinged or form the front wall of a. pull-out drawer (not shown). The oven unit [4 is sup-ported on top of the compartment l3 and contains a cylindrical oven l9 and the various controls therefor. The fryer or grill section I5, containing a pull-out drawer 22 which carries the electrically heated grills 23, rests on top of the .oven unit 14. A switch (not shown) is provided in the ,electrijcalcircuit to the grill which is closed only when the grill is withdrawn ,so

that current cannot be supplied to the heating elements'unless they [are in the extended position. fllhegrills 23 are provided with two folding covers 24 which open .to ;form va worktable area pneachside of the grills 23. .Asection [6, above 3 the grill section I5, contains three individual cooking units l8. This section |6 is covered by a top plate II.

It will be readily apparent that the disposition and relationship of the various elements could be varied within the stove Ii] and that additional elements could readily be added to build up any desired combination without making any great structural changes in the sections themselves. In practice, openings (not shown) are provided in the rear end of each section for the necessary electric wiring and for vent conduits (not shown).

Referring now to the individual cooking units l8, three of which are shown installed in section I6 (Fig. 1), Figs. 3 through 7 show a single unit l8 contained in a unitary housing 3|. It will be apparent that any number of such units l8 could be enclosed in a single case and assembled with oven and grill units where desired to form a unitary stove structure. For the purpose of description, a single unit l8 such as could be used in a conventional kitchen to supplement a standard stove, will be described. However, it is conceivable that such a single unit |8 could be used as the only cooking means in a small apartment or home, even though no more than one method of cooking could be employed at a time.

The cooking unit I8 is contained in a sheet metal housing 3| and comprises a cylindrical cooking chamber 25 which is capable of Withstanding pressure, and which is provided with an electric heating element 26 and a pressure tight door 30. The rear end of this cylinder 25 is sealed by a convex head 21 having openings therethrough for an exhaust conduit 3|. a thermostat 32 and electrical connectors 33 for the heating element 26.

The cylinders 25 is preferably formed of stainless steel or aluminum sheet, all seams b-e'n welded together. The space between the housing 3| and the cylinder 25 is substantially filled with insulating material 34. Mineral wool, fibre glass or other light weight insulating material of suitable characteristics have proved satisfactory. The forward end of the cylinder 25 is provided with a metal ring 36 of heavier metal having a beveled inner edge 31 which is welded to the cylinder 25. A second ring 38 for receiving the door 30 is welded to the first and extends forwardly thereof. The door receiving ring 38 is provided with four slots 49 for receiving the locking dogs 4| of the door 38. The inner end 21 of the cylinder 25 is supported by suitable brackets (not shown) and the outer end is secured by means of the rings 35 and 38 to the front plate 42 of the housing 3 I The door assembly 30 comprises a cover plate 44, having two handle supporting members 45 welded thereto which carry a pin 46 about which the handle 41 rotates, and a pressure plate 48 bolted to the cover plate 44. The pressure plate 48 closes the end of the cylinder when the door 38 is in place. A spacer ring 65, preferably cut from laminated plastic sheet material, separates the cover plate 44 from the pressure plate 48 and thereby provides a cavity within the door 38 which contains the door locking mechanism. The bolts 53 extend through the cover plate 44 and the spacer rings 58 into blind tapped'holes (not shown) in the pressure plate 48. The finger 59 on the handle 41 extends through the cover plate 44 and into this cavity 5| for operating a toggle plate 55 which is rotatably mounted on a pin 56 fixed in the pressure plate 48. The projection 59 extends into a hole 5'! into the toggle plate 55, which hole is spaced from the axis of rotation of the plate 55. Thus rotation of the handle 4? about the pin will cause the finger 59 to move upwardly or downwardly causing the toggle plate 55 to rotate.

The toggle plate 55 is provided with four pins 58 which project outwardly and carry the inner ends of the dogs 4|. The outer ends of the dogs extend through openings 68 provided in the spacer ring 50. By this arrangement, rotation of the toggle plate 55 causes the outer ends of the dogs 4| to protrude from or be retracted into the spacer ring 58. Thus when the handle 41 is moved downwardly, the cam plate is rotated in a counterclockwise direction causing the ends of the dogs to project from the spacer ring 50. If the door 38 is in a closed position these dogs 4| protrude from the door 38 into the corresponding slots 40 provided in the ring 38 and lock the door 38 closed. When the handle 47 is moved in the upward direction the toggle plate 55 is rotated in a clockwise direction withdrawing the dogs 4| from the slots and allowing the door to be opened. A spring 6| secured to the pressure plate 48 and the toggle plate 55 urges the toggle plate 55 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction with the dogs 4| extended.

The periphery 64 of the pressure plate 48 is provided with a radially inwardly extending V groove 63a and carries an elastomer sealing gasket ring 63. The one-piece gasket 53 is stretched and snapped around the groove 63a or may be held in place by a retaining ring (not shown) secured to the pressure plate. When the door 3|] is closed this gasket 53 is squeezed between the beveled surface 31 on the ring 36 and the pressure plate 48 to form a hermetically sealed joint. A plurality of small holes 64a extend from the bottom of the groove 63a forwardly into the space 12. This space is open to the inside of the chamber 25 with the result that pressure within the chamber 25 is transmitted to the bottom of the groove 63a and forces the gasket 63 outwardly against the surface 31 to increase the efiiciency of the seal.

In order to prevent opening the door 35 during the time when the cylinder 25 is subjected to pressure, a safety lock mechanism is provided. This locking mechanism comprises pressure sensitive bellows 65 mounted on the inner side of the pressure plate 43 and having a plunger 68 secured to the movable end thereof. This plunger 66 extends through the pressure plate 48 and is in alignment with a hole 3'! provided in the toggle plate 55 when the door mechanism is in the locked position. When pressure is present in the cylinder, the bellows is compressed, moving the end of the plunger 56 outwardly so that it projects into the hole 6! in the toggle plate 55 and locks the plate 55 against rotation. When the plunger 66 is inserted in the toggle plate 55, the dogs 4| cannot be withdrawn from the slots 48 and the door 38, therefore, cannot be opened as long as pressure is present in the cylinder 25. An adjusting screw 88 is provided in the inner end of the bellows 55 so that the pressure, at which the locking becomes efiective, may be adjusted.

Although a bellows has been shown it is contemplated that a flexible diaphragm or differential piston arrangement could be substituted in the door locking mechanism.

The inner end of the door is formed of a disc 10 of light sheet metal which, together with a cylindrical skirt II mounted on the inner face of the pressure plate 48, forms an enclosure which is partially filled by the bellows 65 and otherwise filled with lightweight insulating material I2. A hole 13 is provided through this plate into the space surrounding the bellows 65 so that pressure within the cylinder 25 will act upon the bellows 65.

Two parallel supporting arms I and 16 which extend into the cooking chamber 25 are mounted on the inner side of the door 30. These arms I5 and 'IE serve a dual function in that they support the door 30 during its insertion into the cylinder 25 and also serve to support the cooking utensil ll. Each arm '55 is formed preferably of two aluminum or stainless steel angle bars I5 and I6 welded or riveted together as illustrated (Fig. '7) to form a longitudinal slot 11 which slides over supports 80 fixed to the inner walls on the cylinder 25. A stop 8| is provided on the inner end of each arm 15 and bears against the end of the cooking utensil I? to withdraw it when the door 30 is pulled out of the chamber 25.

The heating element 26 is mounted inside of the cylindrical chamber below the position of the inserted utensil TI in order to achieve greater efficiency of heat transfer and reduce the heat losses through the insulation 32 to the room in which the unit I8 is being used. In Fig. 3 this element 26 is illustrated as a coil of resistance wire mounted in supports 83 of refractory insulating material, which are carried on the underside of a horizontal plate 8-4 disposed in the bottom of the cylinder 25. This plate 8 t serves to prevent particles of food becoming lodged in the heating element 2% and burning. In some instances it has been found desirable to eliminate this plate as and use Calrod type heating elements or Nichrome coils on an insulating grid providing means for removing the entire unit for cleaning when required.

The spacing between the supports 80 and the bottom plate 84 is such that the bottom of the utensil I! will rest on the plate 80 rather than be suspended above it when the door 30 is inserted as shown in Fig. 7. By this means, radiant heat as well as convective is transferred directly from the glowing element 26 to the bottom surface of the plate 84 from which it travels by conduction into the food to be cooked or, when the plate 84 is eliminated, directly to food through the utensil. To further increase the efliciency of transfer the lower surface of the plate 84 is blackened and the bottom wall of the cylinder 24 is polished so that radiant heat is absorbed by the black surface and reflected by the polished surface.

The electrical connections to the heating element pass through the rear wall 2! of the cylinder 25 as indicated in Fig. 3. Ceramic insulators 33 are provided which are capable of withstanding a pressure of approximately 50 pounds per square inch to insulate the conductors 85 and 85 from the metal wall of the end plate 2?.

A vertical wall 99 separates the main portion of the cooking unit from a cavity 89 at the rear end which houses the various control elements. A steam outlet conduit 3! extends from approximately the center of the convex end of the cylinder 25 through the vertical wall 90 into the exhaust chamber 92 formed in the cavity 89 containing the controls by separating walls 93 which serve to confine the steam to a limited area and keep it away from the various electric controls. The rear end of this chamber 92 opens into a filter element 99 whose other side is exposed to the atmosphere. The inner end of the conduit 3! terminates in a T 94, one leg of which extends upwardly and is faced off to form a valve port 55. This port is closed by a hemispherical valve 86a supported in a member 96 to form a safety valve. A solenoid 91 is mounted outside the exhaust chamber 92 So that its plunger 98 extends downwardly through an opening in one wall of the exhaust chamber 92 and is supported on one end of a valve operating lever I00 which is rotatably mounted on a pin IDI. The other end of this lever IE8, which is forced upwardly by the weight of the plunger 93, supports the safety valve member 96 in a position above the valve port so that the port 95 is open when the solenoid 9? is not energized. When the solenoid 91 is energized, it is lifted off the lever I00 allowing the lever to rotate and drop the member 96 into the closed position. The valve 96a is formed as a bolt for ready replacement when worn or pitted and to provide an adjustment to remove lost motion between the arm I00 and the member 96.

The remainder of the space inside the rear compartment 89 not filled by the exhaust chamber 92 houses the various control elements as follows: A timer I53, a power relay I04, a control elay I05, a pressure actuated switch I01 and gears I88 and I99 for positioning the thermostat 32. The pressure actuated switch IE1 is connected to the conduit 3i by the lower leg III of the tee. A shaft (not shown) extends from the forward side of the timer I03 to a knob H2 on the time set dial II3 on the front end of the unit IS. A similar shaft (not shown) extends rearwardly from the knob N4 of the pressure temperature dial H5 on the front of the unit I8 to the gear I09 which meshes with a second gear I08 whose shaft H6 extends forwardly into the thermostat 32 which is mounted in the rear wall 21 of the cylinder 25. Thus the thermostat 32 may be adjusted to any given temperature from the knob II on the front of the unit and similarly the timer I03 may be set for any time interval by rotating its knob II2 on the front. A single pole single throw switch I I9 is provided on the front plate 42 of the unit It for the purpose of setting the controls for pressure cooking or ordinary cooking. The electrical connections between the various controls are preferably made through the moisture tight conduits I5 connecting the various elements.

A normally opened switch II'I, preferably a microswitch, is mounted on the ring 38 so that its actuating plunger II 8 extends into the slot 4%.. This switch If! is located so that it is closed when the door 30 is locked in the closed position by the action of the lower dog 4 I.

The preferred electrical connections between the various control elements and the functional relationship between them can be best understood by reference to the wiring diagram of a single unit I8 shown in Fig. 5.

Electrical current is supplied to the line conductors I20 and I2I from a source of supply indicated at I22. The conductor I 2|, which may be grounded for purposes of safety, extends from the source I22 to the heating element 26. The other line conductor I253 connects one terminal I23 of a normally open switch I24 in the power relay I04 to the current source I 22. Another conductor I25 connects the other side of the power relay switch I24 with the heating element 26. By this arrangement current is supplied to the heating element 26 during the time when the switch I24 is closed and not supplied when this switch is opened.

'For the purpose of controlling the operation of this switch I24 in the relay I04, a timer I03, having a switch I03a incorporated therein, a thermostat 32 and a pressure actuated switch I01 are provided. One terminal I20 of the operating coil I21 in the relay I04 is connected to the line conductor I2I by a conductor I30. The other terminal I3I of this coil I28 is connected to the line conductor I20 through the thermostat 32, pressure switch I01 and timer switch I03a in series by a conductor I32. The thermostat 32 is of the conventional type having a switch which is normally closed at lower temperatures which opens when the preset higher temperature is reached. The pressure actuated switch I01 is similarly constructed so that it is normally closed, and opens only when a predetermined high pressure is reached. Thus the switch I03a, incorporated into the timer I03, is the on-off switch for the unit since the thermostat 32 and switch I01 are normally closed.

The timer I03 is the conventional electrically driven type having a constant speed electric motor as a driving element. When the knob H2 is turned away from the zero position on the dial N3 the switch N31; is closed. If current is then supplied to the motor of the timer I03 the knob H2 is driven in a counterclockwise direction at a rate of one graduation per minute until it reaches the zero position and opens the switch I03a stopping the supply of current to the various control elements.

Since cooking time should be measured from the time the cooking unit I arrives at the proper cooking temperature or pressure rather than the time the food is placed inside the unit I8, additional relays are employed to supply current to run the motor of the timer I03 only during the time the unit I0 is operating at the preset temperature or pressure. The .power relay I00 contains a second switch I36 which is normally closed except when the relay I04 is energized during the periods current is being supplied to the heating element 26. A conductor I31 connects one terminal I30 of the switch I36 to a terminal I40 of the timer switch 33a. The other terminal I42 of the switch I33 is connected by the conductor I03 to the coil I45 in the control relay I05. The other end of this coil I 53 is connected by means of the conductor I30 to the line conductor I2I. The normally opened switch I43 01' the relay I is connected by the conductor I31 to the terminal I40 of the timer switch. The other terminal of the switch I 58 is connected to the driving motor of the timer I03 and to the terminal I02 of the switch I30 by the conductors I03 and I49. The other terminal of the timer motor is connected to the line conductor I2 I.

The operation of the above described elements is as follows: When food is placed inside the unit I3 to be cooked the temperature knob H0 and the timer knob I I2 are set to the desired cooking temperature and cooking time. If it is not desired to pressure cook, the switch I01 is closed. When the timer knob [I2 is turned away from the zero position the switch I03a is closed so that current flows through the thermostat 32 and pressure switch I01 to the coil I20 of the power relay I04, closing the switch I23 and opening the switch I36. Power is therefore supplied to the heating element 26, but since the switch I36 is opened current does not flow to the motor of the timer I03 through the conductor I43. The switch I48 in the control relay I05 is constructed so that it responds more slowly than the switch I23 in the power relay and, therefore, does not close at this time. As current flows through the element 26 the unit I0 heats up until it reaches the temperature at which the thermostat 32 has been set. At this time the thermostat switch 32 opens, stopping the flow of current to the coil I28. The switch I20 then opens, to cut the current supply to the element 20, and simultaneously the switch I42 closes. With this switch I02 closed, current flows through the conductors I31 and I32 to the coil I05 in the control relay I05, closing the switch I48 supplying driving current to the motor of the timer I03. The cooking unit I8 then cools down until the thermostat 32 closes, operating the relay I04 to close the switch I24 and open switch I36. However, when the switch I36 is opened the motor of the timer I03 continues to run, for current is supplied to the coil I45 of the relay I05 by a conductor I50 and the conductor I30 extending to the line conductor I2I. Thus the timer I03 once started when the preset cooking temperature is reached the first time will continue to run until the zero position of the knob H2 is reached and the switch I03a opens. When pressure cooking, the thermostat 32 is set to a high temperature and the pressure switch I01 performs similar functions to actuate the relay I04.

Those portions of the circuit described above are all that are necessary for the unit I8 to operate as an ordinary cooker for automatic frying, baking, stewing, boiling, etc. In order to provide for automatic pressure cooking as well, two additional switches H6 and II1 and the valve operating solenoid 91 are added to the circuit. These three elements are connected in series between the terminal I40 of the timer switch I03a and the line conductor I2I. When electric current is supplied to the solenoid 91 the safety valve member 96a is dropped into position to seal the outlet conduit 3|. When the pressure cook switch H6 on the front of the unit I0 is closed and the door 30 is inserted and locked in the closed position, the dog II depressing the plunger II8 to close the switch H1, the solenoid 01 is energized while the timer switch I03a is closed. With the outlet 3| sealed, the unit I8 functions as a pressure cooker, the temperature and pressure inside the cylinder 25 rising until the pressure actuated switch I01 or thermostat 32 opens to stop the flow of current to the heating element 23. With the present embodiment the temperature knob H4 must be set at a temperature above the saturation temperature for steam at the pressure at which the switch I01 operates or the relay I00 may be actuated prematurely.

In the embodiment illustrated, variable pressure control is not achieved; however, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that all that need be done to provide variable control is to replace the switch I01 with a variable pressurestat and provide another knob and dial on the front plate of the unit I8, the dial being inscribed with graduations of varying pressure and the knob being mechanically connected to the pressurestat.

In practice it has proved desirable to adjust the pressure switch I01 to open at a pressure between 10 and 20 p. s. i. and to adjust the safety valve 96 to open a pound or so higher. When this is done the cylinder 25 automatically vents itself of air when the pressure rises to the preset value and the switch I01 closes. The contents of the chamber 25 continue to be heated for a short time after the switch I01 opens causing the pressure to overshoot, opening the safety valve and venting a mixture of air and steam to the atmosphere.

The cooking unit l8 illustrated in Fig. 3 is shown to have a filter 99 mounted adjacent the exhaust chamber 92. This filter is supported in an open metal frame I60 and comprises a gauze bag l6l filled with activated charcoal I62 contained within a metal screen frame I63.

When the unit 18 is to be installed with other units in a common housing, or to form a stove structure, it is contemplated that a manifold be employed connecting each separate exhaust chamber to a common filter. This filter can also be provided with a water bath through which the exhaust gases must pass to cool them and condense any steam as well as remove other volatile liquids. In some cases the filter may be eliminated and the bath used alone.

The oven unit 21 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is practically identical, except in size and the fact that it has an extra heating element (not shown) at the top of the chamber, with the above described smaller unit I8. The addition of the extra heating element for broiling purposes has no effect on the wiring circuit except that a selector switch must be provided in the conductor I25 and another heating element connected to this switch and the line conduit l2l. The selector switch makes it possible to use either or both heating elements at will.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention achieves many new results in the science of cooking and makes it possible to cook foods in a quicker, more accurate, and generally superior manner with the exercise of less care and skill on the part of the cook.

It will also be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the described embodiment without departing from the spirit of this invention whose scope is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pressure cooker having a pressure chamber, a pressure tight access door, means for locking said door in the closed position, a passageway connecting the interior of said chamber to the atmosphere, a valve member for closing said passageway, and an electrical circuit for controlling the operation of said valve, said circuit including a switch operated by the door locking means for preventing the opening of said valve unless said door is locked.

2. In a pressure cooker having a pressure chamber, a pressure tight access door, means for locking said door in the closed position including a retractable dog, an electrically actuated valve member for sealing said chamber, and means for controlling the position of said valve member, including a source of electric power and a switch actuated by said dog for controlling the supply of power from said source to said electrically actuated valve.

3. For use in a pressure cooker having an access opening and an exhaust passageway the combination including a closure, means for looking said closure in the opening, a solenoid actuated valve for sealing said passageway, and means including a switch actuated by the locking means for supplying current to said solenoid to close said valve.

4. In a pressure cooking apparatus the combination including a pressure chamber, a valve for sealing said chamber from the atmosphere, an access cover, means for locking said cover, a switch adapted to be closed by said locking means, a timer, a second switch adapted to be closed when said timer is turnedaway from zero, a solenoid adapted to close said valve when energized, said two switches being connected in series between said solenoid and a source of current whereby said valve is closed only when said cover is locked and said timer is turned. away from zero.

CLARENCE N. CONE.

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